Trunk lid lock for automobiles



1951 LA VERNE M. SCHULDT 2,570,390

TRUNK LID LQCK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 29, 1949' Patented Oct. 9, 151

' TRUNK LIDVVL'QOCKFOR AUTQMOBILES La Verne M. Schuldt, Stickney, s Dak. Application, April 29, 1949,- Serial No. 90.417

This invention relates to a novel construction time for trunk lids abling the lid to be automatically locked when moved to a closed position and'to permit thelid to .be unlocked only from within the automobile so that when the doors, of the vehicle are locked and the windows closed it will be impossible to unlock the trunk lid without gaining access to "the me ter'ior of the automobile. 1 l j f; The primary object of the present invention is to provide a trunk lock which will eliminate the need for a key for unlocking and locking the. trunk and which will enable the trunk lid to bej much'morequickly and easily returnedto a lockedposition and which will prevent the trunk lid from being accidentally left in an unlocked co'r'idition' when closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel spring means for partiallyopening the trunklidwhen unlocked from within the car to prevent the trunk lid from being inadvertently r'e"-locked until it is manually and forcibly ireturnedto a fully closed position.

Still another object of the invention is to providea novel trunk lock having a spring projected bolt which is normally'held in a retracted positi'on'by a-spring urged keeper which is automati cally released to be spring biased toa locked'position by the movement of the'trunklid forcibly to a fully closed position. Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of'the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

jj Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational-view, partly broken away of an automobile showing the trunk lid lock in dotted lines and'insideelevation applied thereto; Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the trunk of an automobile showing the lock therein partly" inside elevation and partly in longitudinal section and ina' locked position and substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3" is a' horizontal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 33 of Figure 2; I 5 1 Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly broken away and on a reduced scale of the parts as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 and illustrating'. the trunk lock in a released position, and f Figur'e5 is a side elevational. view, partly .in section illustrating alportion ofthe release actuator ofthe trunk lock.

For the purpose of. illustrating a preferred application/and use 1 ofthe trunk lock, designated generally 6 andcomprising the invention, asubstantial portion of anautomobile is illustrated in Figure 1 including an automobile trunk I having a conventional upwardly swinging hinged; lid or closureaf The instrument panel'9 of the autoof automobiles foren- 1 Claim.' (o1. 292-335) mobile is also illustrated in Figure 1 and a portion thereof is shown in Figure 5.. v 'I'hejtrunk lock 6 includes an elongated housing, designated generally I having a bottom II, corresponding side walls I2 and a forward end wall. I3. 'The housing I0 is suitably secured to the floor or bottom I4 of thetrunk l or may be located in a recess or channel thereof and longitudinally,

with respect to themotor vehicle and with the,

front end wall I3 disposed in a forwardmost position with respect to the housing I0. The housing I0 "also includes an inverted substantially U-shaped guide member I which is disposed transversely thereof and intermediate of itsj'ends and the ends of which are'suitably secured to the side walls I2. The corresponding depending sides I6 of the guide member I5 are provided with aligned openings I! which are likewise in alignment with an "opening I8 of the front end wall I3 vforreciprocally receiving and guiding a lock bolt or plunger I9, which" extends through the" openings I1 andjI8.

Theforward end of the bolt I9 extendsforwardly from the housing I0 and is l0ngitudi nally recessed to receive an end of a wire -of relatively heavy' gaugeand which is adjustably secured in the bolt or plunger I9 by-a setscrew 2 I' which is threaded radially into the bolt I9. The wire 20 comprises a part of a manual bolt actur; ator, designatedgenerally22 andwhich also in eludes an elongated relatively flexible tube 23'. one end of which is disposed forwardly of and adjacent the housing I0 and detachably mounted in the upper clamp portion 24 of, a bracket 25' which is fastened to the trunk floor I4. The tube 23, containing the wire 20 extends forwardly. from the trunk I beneath the vehicle body, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure l and is turned upwardly at a point forwardly .of the vehicle dashboard, not shown, and extends 'upwardly' and rearwardly-therethrough. The op posite end of the tubular member 23 is secured in a clamping unit 26 which extends through an opening 2! of the instrument panel 9 and which is clamped thereto. 1 The opposite end of the wire. 20 extends through the clamping unit 26 and is. suitably secured to a knob or button 28 which is disposed on the front side of the instrument panel 9 and at a point convenient to the driver of the vehicle. 4 a a v An expansion coiled spring 29 is carried by thelock bolt or plunger I9 and has one end thereof bearing 'againstthe inner side of the housing wall I3. and its opposite end bearing against a collar 30 :which is fixed to the bolt I9 fornorniallyholding said bolt in a projected position; as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 andwithfthe collar 30 disposed against the guide I 5 and form: i hga sjtop for limiting the movement of the bolt' I9 toward a projected position under the biasing; action'of the spring 29.

- "A stationaryhandle 3I is secured to the outer 

